“Sure, honey. We can have your parents over
for dinner. It will be fun,” you say as you panic internally.

Cooking for your in-laws is easily one of
the most stressful things you can do. You immediately feel like your culinary
skills will be judged as an extension of you, and how fit you are to be with
their child. To be fair, you may not be wrong.

So, let’s prepare a meal that is as amazing
as you want them to think you are.

Option #1: Your Go-to Crowd Pleaser

If this is taking place on a weekday,
you’re going to be extra-stressed and stressed for time. Take all the guesswork
out of the equation and prepare something you know, and something you know is a
crowd pleaser every single time.

You know all the measurements, you know the
times and you have the prep work down to a science. You know exactly how long
it will take your oven to cook this
to perfection. And you know exactly where all of the ingredients are in your
supermarket.

Take the surprises out of the equation and
cook something you know will be amazing. Add their favorite wine or adult
beverages and wait for the praise to roll in.

Option #2: The Guest Favorite

Does the would-be mom or dad have a soft
spot for brisket? Well, if you make a good one, you now have GPS coordinates to
their good books.

This is more ambitious, but the payoff is
certainly there. On the one hand, they have probably ordered this meal in
countless restaurants and can easily tell you who makes a good one and a bad
one. They may be picky. On the other hand, you will get serious bonus points
for the effort.

Being eager to please is not always a bad
thing – especially in the kitchen.

Option #3: The Vegan Menu

Maybe you’re a vegan and you want to show
the in-laws how delicious things can be. Or, maybe they’re vegans and you want
to prepare something special just for them.

In either case, try something like this Vegan
Barbecue Lentil Loaf. It’s an unexpected and drop-dead-delicious choice
that is sure to wow vegans and omnivores alike.

Option #4: The Seafood Menu

If they love seafood, that is exactly what
you’re going to give them.

Try something ambitious like Frying
Pan Paella Mixta. It’s an amazing mix of chicken and shrimp that is sure to
please the pickiest of seafood fans.

If you’re not overly familiar with cooking
seafood, this is still doable. However, the focus should be on buying fresh
ingredients, which the link above will help you do.